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Therapeutic Effects of Animal-assisted Therapy for Patients in a Minimally Conscious State

NCT03910959 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 30

Last updated 2025-08-13

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of animal-assisted occupational therapy on patient's consciousness, measured via the achievement of predefined, patient-specific goals.

30 patients in a minimally conscious state will be included in this trial with randomized, controlled cross-over design. Patients will be randomized and allocated to either study arm 1 or 2 with an allocation ratio 1/1. In study arm 1, patients (N=15) receive three weeks of two AAT sessions per week followed by three weeks of two control sessions (TAU) per week. In study arm 2, patients (N=15) receive three weeks of two control sessions (TAU) per week followed by three weeks of two AAT sessions per week. Each session lasts 30 minutes. Goal attainment and secondary outcomes will be measured before the study start (pre-measurement, t0), at the end of the first 3 weeks therapy (post-measurement I, t1), at the start of the second 3 weeks (pre-measurement II, t2) as well as at the study end (post-measurement II, t3).

Conditions

  • Minimally Conscious State

Interventions

OTHER

Animal-assisted therapy

Therapy in the presence and with interaction with an animal. Involved animals can be all species that live at REHAB Basel and are part of the AAT program. All animals are trained for the specific service with vulnerable patients.

OTHER

Conventional therapy

Parallelled conventional therapy sessions (treatment as usual)

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Basel

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Model
CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2019-07-10
Primary Completion
2025-08-08
Completion
2025-08-08

Countries

  • Switzerland

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT03910959 on ClinicalTrials.gov